Light Slivers of Caroline
by colourful-dystopia
Summary: AU/AH. Caroline Forbes is an aspiring chef living in New York, with an unsatisfactory job and boyfriend. Or so she thought. All of that changes when she wakes up in a private ward of a hospital remembering nothing of the past three years. Now, she has a rich, hot husband and a disconnected past. Will she ever find out what happened in the past three years?
1. Prologue

**Hey everyone! I'm back with another story. I was bursting to write this down and post it as soon as the idea hit me in the face. **

**This story is loosely based on the novel "Remember Me" by Sophie Kinsella. I read the book a long time ago and I loved it. The idea is similar to that in the book but the situations will be different. **

**I hope you like it!**

**- Anna**

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**Prologue**

**23****rd**** December 2010**

"Matt! I'm not finished. I'm barely getting started!" the perky blonde yelled as she ran to catch up with her boyfriend of four years. It was more of a speed walk than a run given the subtle amounts of snow on the pavement outside the nightclub they had just exited and the completely impractical pair of shoes she had been forced to wear. The streets were crowded even at this hour which made for good business for the nightclubs in the year. The holiday season brought out all the young and unmarried for a night of fun after a year of hard work. The traffic in the city was as bad as ever, if not worse as Caroline tried and failed to catch up with the buff, blonde former quarterback for Columbia.

She sighed in frustration as she thought back to the awful year she had had. At 24, she was working as a chef at The Guild, one of the top restaurants in New York. It was a coveted position among chefs everywhere and Caroline would be considered lucky to have secured such a job. She had been working there for the past two years, right after she graduated from a top notch culinary institute in New York. Cooking had always been a passion of hers. Ever the perfectionist, Caroline had always strived to improve every one of her dishes. That was what had earned her the job. Over the years, she had lost interest in her passion. She had been sloppy in her approach and it showed in the end product. It perturbed her to no end when she failed to deliver. A couple of times, customers had been unhappy with her dishes and had complained to the manager of the restaurant. Her manager had been understanding as she was fresh out of college, and had sent her off with a warning. Each time that happened, Caroline had vowed to ensure that it would be the last. Unfortunately, it had happened more than once.

The holiday season was one that Caroline had looked forward to the entire year. It was not the spirit of the season that she looked forward to, but the Christmas bonus received by every employee of the hotel. Caroline had been eagerly awaiting her pay cheque this month. New York was an expensive city and Caroline needed every penny to survive in the city. When it was time for the pay cheque to be handed out, Caroline was left disappointed when she realized that she was the only one in the kitchen to have not received a bonus that year. She knew that it was because it was her because of her lackadaisical performance over the year, but her stubborn refused to believe that. Even though she was devastated, she had agreed to go celebrate with her co-workers. Her friends, Katherine and Elena Gilbert, had convinced her to wear the impractical shoes and equally impractical dress for the occasion. Katherine, who had been her best friend since they were around 8, had promised to never leave her side but had forgotten about her promise once she laid eyes on the cute brunette behind the bar. She had left early in the evening, leaving Caroline with Elena and her squealing bunch of girlfriends, all of whom seemed like they had never outgrown high school.

Her misery escalated from then on. She had called her boyfriend, Matt Donavan, around midnight, demanding that he come pick her up from the nightclub. She knew it would be hard to get a cab around that time, especially since Christmas was right around the corner. He had promptly agreed and promised to be there soon. Their relationship used to be one of laughter and happiness but had turned sour off late. Caroline had been projection her general unhappiness onto Matt. She would yell at him all the time and call him "sloppy" or "lazy" or even "immature." She refused to believe that Matt actually worked hard and strived to succeed. Over the years, Matt had given up on trying to prove her wrong. It was wonder how the two of them were still in a relationship.

They had met at a bar four years ago while they were both students of different colleges. Being young and carefree, they had got involved with each other pretty quickly. Once they graduated, Matt got a job and a corporation that owned several auto-repair shops around New York and New Jersey. He was pretty content with his job but was aiming for a promotion that had been announced recently. He was close to getting it too. He hadn't mentioned any of this to Caroline as he knew how she would feel about it. He was sick of fighting and by the time he arrived at the nightclub, he knew that she would be on the verge of blowing up.

Matt arrived almost an hour late, much to Caroline's chagrin. She had been waiting out in the cold ever since she had called him an hour ago. She was frozen to the bone and mad beyond words. That one hour in the cold was enough for her to mull over the tragedy that was her life and sort her priorities out. She had decided to clean up her act and start by breaking up with her no good boyfriend. Now, here she was chasing him down on a wet and cold sidewalk, demanding that he drive her home. He refused stating that it was a ridiculous request made by someone who just broke up with him for petty reasons. Which is when it happened.

One moment she was marching down the sidewalk as best as she could in six inch heels and before she knew it, she had slipped on a patch of ice. She failed to catch her balance in time and lost her bearings. That split of a second was enough to send her sprawling to the ground. She felt her head hit something hard. She saw tiny dots of snow falling from the brightly lit tops of the buildings around her that seemed to be touching the sky. And then everything faded to black.

It was the perfect end to the perfect day.

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**So that's the beginning. Should I continue or not? Love it or hate it, let me know! **

**Follow me on tumblr (same username) and twitter: QueenInTheDark.**

**See you next time!**

**xx**

**Anna**


	2. Chapter 1: The Innocence of Sleep

**Hey!**

**Thank you for all the amazing reviews! They blew my mind. **

**I'm sorry this chapter isn't too long. I wanted to give you a little gift for Christmas but unfortunately wouldn't let me login yesterday. I hope you don't mind it being a day late. **

**This chapter is unedited so please be kind. **

**The title is taken from the song by Placebo with the same title.**

**Thanks to approvesomuch on tumblr for the amazing cover!**

**Remember to leave a review, please!**

**I hope you had an amazing Christmas. Happy New Year to everyone. The next update would be in 2014!**

**Much love!**

**Anna**

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**The Innocence of Sleep**

**24****th**** December 2013**

There was a shift in the winds. Everything was calm. There was peace in the world. There was no sorrow or unrest. There was contentment and acceptance. Happiness in small quantities but happiness just the same. Sadness was a story of the past. It was serenity and peace. Bliss.

The illusion was shattered in an instant by blinding pain. It was a throbbing pain coming from some place far away, but it was felt. It was a mystery to feel pain from some place detached. It made a thumping noise that only she seemed to be able to hear; a harsh contrast to that beeping sound that seemed to be coming from somewhere else.

Suddenly, she was overwhelmed by sounds. There were far too many of them. The thumping in her head, the beeping of something strange, the tapping of silent footsteps that seemed to be slightly muffled, the clicking of what seemed like a pen, the tapping that sounded like impatient fingernails on glass, the squeaking of new shoes on freshly cleaned floors. There were far too many.

She ached to see the world around her, to see where the sounds were coming from, but she didn't seem to know how to do so. Her body didn't seem to be responding to her command. The pain seemed to be getting closer to her and more acute. Not unbearable but definitely not pleasant.

Consciousness dawned quite slowly. Her body was lethargic. She could feel time passing as she tried to pry her eyes open, the inability of doing so causing such alarm within her. When she finally managed to open her eyes she was met by a blinding white light. It burned into the back of her skull adding to the pounding in her head. Through tiny slits she tried to make sense of the world around her but to no avail. Her eyes tried to see past the white but it hurt too much to keep them open for more than second. But she was persistent.

The light finally dimmed to reveal a bland looking room with a large windows adorning one wall. The blinds were partially drawn letting in minimal light. There was a large flat screen television on the wall directly opposite her. To her right was a plush couch in beige which looked like something she wouldn't be able to afford in a million years. She looked to her right and noticed a complicated looking monitor that was attached to her by a wire of some kind. It was then that she realized where she was. She remembered that fall she had taken onto the icy pavement while running after Matt. She remembered watching the snow fall onto her face, waiting for the stinging cold to meet her skin. She remembered her job and the horrible Christmas that she had had.

She took a closer look at the hospital room she was in and fearfully realized that it wasn't like any hospital room that she had ever been in. It looked expensive and exclusive. It even had an en-suite bathroom!

Her train of thought was broken by a nurse who entered the room carrying a tray with an assortment of cups on it.

"Morning, Mrs. Salvatore!" she said brightly. "How are you feeling this morning? Does anything hurt?"

Her innocent greeting spurred a dozen questions within her. She called her a _Mrs. _something. Immediately she looked down to the forth finger of her left hand and gasped in shock, her eyes wide. Her finger was circled by an expensive looking band of gold and a large diamond that seemed to be emitting light of it's on. It was one of those classic engagement rings that she had seen on the fingers if high profile celebrities in magazines. Beside the ostentatious symbol was another band of gold. This one plain and simple.

"I'm married?!" she shouted in a whisper.

The nurse stilled her movements at her question. Well adept at keeping her worries concealed, she analyzed Caroline's face as she stared at her hand, holding it up and away from her face as she began to sit up.

"Mrs. Salva-"

"Caroline," she said sternly. "Call me Caroline."

"Very well, Caroline-"

"How long have I been out?" she asked turning to the nurse who stood frozen beside her large bed.

"A couple of hours." She replied honestly. "Mrs…Caroline, what's the last thing you remember?"

Caroline breathed heavily as she thought back, willing her brain to remember how the hell she ended up married overnight.

"It was Christmas. I was at that club. The new one that had just opened. The one that was closest to The Guild. My boyfriend, Matt, was supposed to pick me up but he arrived late. We argued and he walked away from me. I chased after him. The footpath was frozen and before I knew it, I was slipping. I bumped my head, I think. And well…you should tell me the rest."

The nurse looked at her calmly and asked "Caroline, can you tell me what year it is?"

"2010." She replied automatically.

"Mrs. Salvatore," the nurse said slowly, "it's 2013."

Caroline began to panic at the news. She had forgotten three years of her life. She was married to someone she didn't remember!

"It's alright, Mrs. Salvatore." The nurse said soothingly as she rubbed her back. She looked like she had a lot of experience in such cases. "It'll be okay."

"What happened?" Caroline choked out as she tried to keep her breathing in check. "Please!" she said looking up at the nurse, pleading with her. "Tell me everything."

"Mrs. Salvatore," she said slowly, "you were in a car accident a couple of days ago. You bumped your head against the windshield. It wasn't serious but you husband wanted you to get checked out. He insisted that you get a private suite."

Caroline sat frozen on the spot, trying to process everything that she was being told.

"And my husband," she urged, "what is he like?"

The nurse remained quiet for a while. "It isn't my place to say Mrs. Salvatore but I can tell you that he loves you very much. You are very lucky to have him in your life."

The world seemed to slow as the nurses words resonated in Caroline's mind. It was like a dream. A dream that everyone hopes for but no one wants to live. Was this perfection or was this a nightmare? Caroline couldn't quite decide. Her mind willed her to look at this in a positive way. A second chance at life. A chance to rediscover herself and what she was worth. But her heart was gripped with fear. Fear of what her new life was like. Fear of the unknown. Fear of what had transpired in the last three years.

"Why don't you rest for a while?" the nurse suggested soothingly. "You're husband will be here in a few hours and everything will be alright."

Caroline welcomed the suggestion and lay back down on the soft bed. Her head rested on the fluffy pillows, her hand beside her head. She stared into the luminous diamond on her perfectly manicured fingered. she watched the light glint of the rock as she drifted off to darkness, dreaming about her ideal man in the form of her husband.

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**Well? What do you think? **

**Don't kill me yet!**

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**See you next time! :)**


	3. Chapter 2: Life for the Living

**Hi!**

**Thank you for reading so far and reviewing!**

**After reading all your reviews, I feel like a lot of will probably hate this story. That's alright. I'm going to write it anyway because it's a good outlet for me. I hope that at least a few people like what I do with it. If you do decide to continue reading it, I hope you can keep an open mind.**

**All the other stories I've read of the similar category have similar story lines and I wanted to do something different. I wanted to create a bit more 3-dimensional characters. There are so many sides to a person and I wanted that to show in my work. They are human, after all, and human beings occasionally do stupid things.**

**I hope you understand where I'm coming from. I would explain it more excessively but I don't want to give too much away. **

**Btw, this is a Klaroline fanfic. You just have to be patient for a bit. **

**Thank you again for reading! Please review!**

**xx**

**Anna**

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**Chapter 2**

**Life for the Living**

She awoke to the sound of someone's voice. The person seemed to be yelling but she couldn't help but be drawn to that voice. It was smooth. Silky. Something that every girl dreamed about but didn't really crave.

She opened her eyes and turned to the right. Her eyes caught dirty blonde curls sitting in complete disarray. The face was like a dream. She was immediately drawn to the plush pink lips. It made him look so pure, innocent. The rest of him said something else. She could see a part of a tattoo that was visible along his collarbone. His blue shirt had the first two buttons casually undone. She couldn't help but stare at the small amount of toned chest that was taunting her. It was then that she noticed that he was holding her hand in his. His grip was firm. He wore and expression of worry and relief with a hint of disbelief. Maybe it was apprehension. She couldn't tell. She liked the look on him. Suddenly, she felt loved and calmed. It was a feeling that overwhelmed her. She didn't know where it came from but it seemed as if her body remembered him even if her mind didn't.

"You're awake." He whispered, more to himself than anyone else. She swooned in the back of her mind when she heard his accent. British, she ascertained. He cleared his throat drawing her attention from the winding train of thought that was slowly building a roller coaster in her mind. "How are you feeling?" It was sincere. He really cared. And she loved that. From what she remembered, she rarely ever felt this loved by anyone. She had always blamed the world around her for that but since she had woken up in the hospital bed, she had begun to think that maybe she was the problem.

"Are you my husband?" she asked. It made sense. Only a husband would look at his wife with so much love and care. He looked taken aback by her question. His blue eyes filled with confusion.

"Shit." Came another voice by the door. An American voice. She looked at the man in question. He was tall and handsome as the devil. Dark, floppy hair that her hands just ached to touch and the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen. There was mischief in them. He wore dark clothes and it suited him. His phone was held in one hand, lowered to his chest as he stared at her in shock or wonder, it wasn't clear. "This is certainly going to be entertaining." He said sarcastically. He pulled his phone up to his phone again and said, "I'm going to have to call you back." His eyed never left hers as he hung up on whoever he was speaking to without waiting for a response.

"So it's true then?" he asked, moving towards her. "You lost your memory? Don't remember a thing of the past three years?"

Caroline nodded as he analyzed her every movement with his icy blue eyes.

"Well, then," he said slowly, "I guess I'm your husband. Damon Salvatore." He waited for some sort of reaction from her. Recognition, realization, anything. There was nothing. "This Klaus Mikaelson." He said clasping the blonde man's shoulder. "He's a good friend and colleague." Klaus didn't react to the statement and neither did she. His eyes were still focused on her.

"I spoke to the doctors." Damon continued. "They said you are free to go home. If you want that."

Caroline was sick of the hospital room. From the time she had first woken up a couple of hours ago, she had been questioned, poked and prodded and she was sick of it. All she wanted was to get out of the sordid place and rejoin the world of the living. She was curious to know what her new life was about.

"Will I ever remember?" she questioned quietly. She didn't know how to react to being married to a stranger. A good looking one, no less. Besides, the blonde man beside her bed made her nervous and she couldn't figure out why. He still held her hand in both of his. They were calloused and manly and she reveled in the feeling.

"The doctors don't know what caused this. They said that sometimes the brain just chooses to forget things. The mind works in weird ways. Those were his words." Damon said, looking out of the window. "He said you'll remember things if you're ready for it. If you really do want to."

Caroline thought about his words. She wondered what it was that she wanted to forget more than anything else in the world. From what she could tell, her new life seemed perfect. She was married for a handsome, rich man who loved her. She probably loved him too, but for the life of her she couldn't remember if she did. Three years ago, this had been everything she wanted.

"I brought you clothes and you handbag." Damon said as he picked up a large shopping bag from the floor. She hadn't noticed it before despite the bright colour of the bag. "Wouldn't want you biting my head off because I forgot you precious bag." He mumbled but she heard it loud and clear. She furrowed her eyebrows at the statement. The situation got more and more confusing as time passed.

She pulled her hand away from the warmth and comfort of the blonde man named Klaus. Taking the shopping bag from Damon, she made her way to the large en-suite bathroom. She never thought that a hospital would ever have such luxurious bathrooms. This one was beyond her expectations. It had a large bathtub at one end, the white of the tub sparkled under the lights. The floor was tiled with smooth, grey stone tiles that felt cool under her bare feet. On one wall, there was a large floor length mirror with a line of tiny, orange spotlights above it.

She stood admiring the mirror, forgetting the task at hand. When she finally focused on her reflection she let out a ear splitting shriek, loud enough to wake the entire hospital. She could faintly hear a British accented voice shaking the door and commanding her to let him in. She stood frozen in front of the mirror, astounded by her reflection. Gone was her unruly red hair. Instead, her head was adorned with beautiful blonde curls that had been pulled back from her face. She even had highlights! It shined bright even though it hadn't been washed in a while. There was no sign that her hair had once been frizzy and unmanageable.

Her face looked different too. Her skin was glowing and clear. The stubborn freckles were gone. Her eyes looked bigger and brighter with no dark circles or bags under them. They sparkled like sapphires as she gazed at her reflection in shock. Her eyebrows were perfectly shaped and her teeth were sparkling. She looked a million bucks. She wondered when the transformation had taken place. The Caroline she knew was sloppy and careless and lacked an ounce of self-esteem. The woman in front of her looked like royalty.

The banging on the door continued and with a sigh, Caroline opened the door a crack. She stuck her head out and faced an alarmed Klaus.

"Is everything alright, love?" he asked, worry etched into his face.

"Yeah. Everything is fine."

He nodded slowly, not completely believing her but letting it go.

"Damon had to step out for a bit. I'll wait here for you." She nodded and slipped back into the bathroom.

Caroline emptied the contents of the shopping bag onto the counter. There was a pair of expensive looking jeans in black and a silky, white top that shimmered a little. There was a black coat and high heeled suede ankle boots also in black. She looked at her outfit of the day, so immaculate and spotless. Damon had good taste in clothes, she gathered. Her eyes landed on her handbag. A black, studded handbag by Marc Jacobs that would've probably cost her a year's salary in her old life. She shuffled through it to find anything that would shine a light on her new life. There was a cellphone which was dead, make up in plenty, lot's of loose change in a matching wallet, and keys to something.

When she finally made her way out of the bathroom, dressed and clean and looking like a supermodel, she say Klaus sitting on the hospital bed with his back to her. He had his cell phone pressed to his ear and his head hung is defeat. She could hear him softly whispering into the phone but couldn't make out the words.

"I'll start over." He seemed to be saying to whoever he was talking to. "It'll be okay. This could be a good thing."

She cleared her throat, drawing his attention. She didn't want to eavesdrop on his conversations. He rose from the bed and looked at her, taking in her appearance from head to toe.

"You look beautiful." He said softly and she blushed. She couldn't remember the last time someone had made her blush by saying something that simple. It felt good. It felt better than great.

"Thank you." They were both strangers but for some reason her body seemed to be drawn more to Klaus than her husband. Her husband. The man hadn't spoken a friendly word to her yet. He was stiff and sarcastic. Unlike Klaus who seemed like he genuinely cared. Caroline didn't dwell on it too much. She had only known them for a few hours. It was probably just her neurotic mind playing tricks on her, she thought.

There was one thing that no one seemed to clarify.

"How did I end up here?"

"You were in a car accident." Klaus answered truthfully. "You were driving and your car collided with a cab. The driver jumped a signal. It wasn't your fault."

To say she looked frightened would be an understatement. Klaus tried to remedy the situation immediately.

"It's alright." He said, taking her by the shoulder and leading her to the bed. "Nothing happened to you. You bumped your head and Damon insisted that the doctors check you out in case you had a concussion. Then you started of complaining of headaches so they decided to keep you overnight. You've only been here two days."

"I don't drive." Fear gripped her voice. She was shaking. Things were different now, she realized. "I can't drive."

"You learnt how to about a year ago."

He encouraged her to breathe slowly, calming her nerves. It helped a little but she was still shocked by everything she had just heard. It seemed as if she was living as someone else. Everything she had heard, which wasn't much, sounded as if it were about a different human being. Not Caroline Forbes, aspiring chef from a Virginia.

"I know it can be overwhelming," he said, looking her straight in the eye, "but it will be okay, Caroline. You're strong. You can get through this. And I'll be by your side all the way."

Although she had only just met him, she trusted him more than she had ever trusted anyone. It confused her.

"Are you ready to go home?" he held out his hand for her and she surprised herself by taking it. Together they walked out of the hospital room, their hands locked together. He whispered words of encouragement to her all the way and that built her confidence. It made her feel like she could get through this. That she could live the life of the new and improved Caroline Forbes.

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**What did you think?**

**Please review!**

**I need the motivation.**

**See you next time!**

**xx**

**Anna**


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